Linger
by Elena1228
Summary: Edward Cullen was murdered in his school Auditorium on October 18th, 1991. His death was ruled as suicide, only him and his killer knowing the truth. But Edward didn't pass on. His spirit still remains in the Auditorium, waiting for a chance to bring his killer to justice. Seventeen years later, his chance comes when Bella Swan, the only person who can see him, comes to Forks.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_October 18__th__, 1991_

"_Rose, I love you! Please, tell me you'll be mine! I can't take..." He cursed. "Those aren't the lines….Come on, Edward, think! The show is in two days..." He took a quick glance at his lines, promising to resist the next time. He had to remember the lines without the script. There wouldn't be one during the show. "Rose, I love you! Please, tell me you'll be mine! I can't live without-DAMN IT!" With a frustrated growl, Edward threw down the script. _

"_Someone's in a bad mood" _

_Edward turned and grimaced. "Hi, Jessica"_

_Her brown curles bobbed as she giggled. "Are you practicing for the play?"_

"_Yeah…Well, I'm trying to" He tried not to sound rude, but he also wanted her to get the hint. _

"_Sounds like you're struggling"_

"_I…What are you doing in here?" _

"_I'm the one who handles the controls. You know, lights and all of that" She rolled her eyes and then gave him a smile that creeped him out. Jessica Stanley was a popular girl, but she was also known as a psycho. People liked her, but they were also afraid of her._

_Edward, however, was more annoyed with her. He was the unlucky guy she chose to develop a crush on. His friends still haven't let it slide. "Look, Jessica, no offense, but I have to get these lines down before the play. Could you, I don't know, give me some privacy?"_

_Her eyes narrowed like a Cats, raising the hair on the back of his neck. A moment later, however, she smiled like a chestier Cat. "Actually, I have to fix that light up there" She pointed to the where the small balcony that was part of the set was. A broken light hung above it. "Can you maybe help me?"_

_Edward sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was help her, but he didn't want to deal with her having another mental breakdown. "Do you have the bulb to replace it with?"_

"_Here. Look, I'll come up with you"_

"_Lucky me" he muttered under his breath._

_They both made their way up to the balcony. It wobbled slightly. It was only meant to hold one person at a time. "Maybe you should wait down there. I don't think we can both be up here" Edward said, inspecting the broken light. He pushed a swinging that was next to him aside._

"_That's ok" Jessica smirked "You'll be off plenty soon"_

"_What?"_

_Before Edward could react, a rope was quickly put tightly around his neck. In shock and confusion, he didn't move._

"_Sorry, Edward" Jessica apologized sweetly "But if I can't have you, no one can" With all her strength, she pushed Edward off the side of the balcony. There was a sharp, painful jerk around his neck. It felt like his head would rip off from his body, and he would gladly have that happen if it meant ending the pain. His eyes searched wildly for a way to get the rope off his neck, but there was no way. Closing his eyes, he willed for it all to end. Two minutes later, it did. _

_Edward Anthony Cullen, age Seventeen, was found dead an hour later. His death was ruled as suicide. Only Jessica knew the truth, but she would never come clean. What she didn't know was that Edward knew, too. No one knew his spirit still lingered in the Auditorium, waiting for a chance to get either revenge or justice. _

_It wasn't until 2008 that his chance came. _


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Should have put this in Chapter one but I completely forgot. Here's just some more info on the story, plus chapter 2 **

**PAIRING: Edward/Bella, Edward/Tanya**

**TYPE: AU**

**WARNINGS: Language, slight graphic scenes of violence/murder**

**NOTE: This story is slightly based around a true story. I forget some of the details, but a teenage boy accidently fell from a part of the Auditorium while practicing for a play and hung himself. Supposedly, his spirit is still there. Thus, the idea behind this story was born.**

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**Chapter 2**

September 10th, 2008

Bella Swan did not do new schools. She did not do new people, new classrooms, and making new friends, all of the jazz that came with being a newbie. For one, she wasn't good with people. She was awkward, not knowing when to carry out a conversation or just stop talking. She usually went for going silent. She didn't know when to break eye contact, and she couldn't look at someone in the eye when talking to them for more than a minute at a time. And it wasn't like she wanted to be awkward. In her head, she often thought of different ways to approach people and how to answer them. It just never worked out. She had even tried changing her style of clothing, as her mother had said it would give her more confidence than the tom-boyish and plain clothing she usually wore. That didn't last long, either.

Now she was standing in against the wall in Forks High School with a map in hand, trying to figure out where the hell her classes were. The smart thing to do would be to ask for help, but she got flustered. "Come on, Bella" She muttered under her breath "Don't be such a wimp"

"Do you need something?"

Bella jumped and spun around to find a girl standing there with a sneer on her face. She had long, wavy brown hair, the kind of body Bella wished she had, and wore what looked like designer clothing, and not the cheap kind you could find in Wal-Mart or Old Navy.

"I-I'm trying to find my classes-"Bella began to explain.

"And _I'm _trying to get to my locker, so move" The girl replied sharply. In shock, Bella moved. She had never exactly been talked to like that.

"Giving the new girl a hard time, Lauren?" A guy with blond hair and a friendly smile walked up next to Lauren and nudged her. "Didn't your parents teach you to play nice?"

"Bite me" Lauren snapped, slamming her locker harder than necessary and storming away. The guy chuckled and looked at Bella. "Sorry about her. She's one of those asshole popular girls you find in the movies, but she can also be sweet when she wants to be"

"It's fine" Bella said, looking away awkwardly "I was in her way"

"Still doesn't have a right to talk to you like that. Anyway, I'm Mike Newton"

"I'm Bella. I'm, uh, new" _You idiot, what was that?_

Mike smiled. "I know. This is a small town, everyone knows each other"

"I guess that's usually how small towns work" _Not bad_

"Guess it is. Need help finding your classes?"

"If you don't mind"

He held out his hand. "Not at all. Can I see your schedule?"

Bella handed it to him and waited patiently as he scanned it over.

"It looks like we have all our classes together" He looked at her and smiled again, showing off his perfectly white teeth. "Just follow me for the first couple of days if you need to"

"Thank you" She said, relieved "That would be a big help"

"No problem. Anyway, we should get to class before Ms. Sawyer has a fit. And on the way, I'll tell you a ghost story"

"A ghost story?"

"Right, you're new here. Well, for years there's been talk that a student who committed suicide in the Auditorium still lingers there…"

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He's been here for too long.

Sitting in a seat watching the Students practice for the upcoming play, he finds himself reciting the lines perfectly. And when you can recite line-from-line, play-from-play…Well, then you've been in this hell for a long time.

And that's what it was; hell. There was a time when he loved the Theater and everything about it. The Auditorium had practically become his new home, always staying later than necessary-and probably allowed-instead of going to his actual home. His parents had threatened to have him kicked out of Theater Group many times, but even they couldn't go through it. It meant everything to him.

However, that was seventeen years ago, and he's been stuck in the Auditorium ever since his death. He couldn't go anywhere; not home, not anywhere else in the school, not outside. There was something like a wall that was invisible in the entrance to the Auditorium that wouldn't let him pass. For years it nearly drove him to the brink of insanity. Now, he was used to it. And he wasn't completely alone.

"Edward, you're doing it again"

He didn't bother looking at her. "Doing what, Tanya?"

The strawberry blond rolled her eyes. "Being a pedophile and watching these kids practice for their play"

"What?" He narrowed his eyes at her "I'm not a pedophile!"

"You were staring at that girl"

"So? All I was doing was looking"

"It's creepy and totally pedophile-ish"

He scoffed and turned his attention back to the Students. "You try being lonely for seventeen years and tell me how you like it"

"No, thanks" Tanya said, checking out her manicured nails that hadn't changed at all since she died. "I don't do good being alone"

"That why you killed yourself?" Edward muttered. It was a low blow, but he wasn't in the best of moods today, and the pedophile comment pissed him off a little.

Tanya bristled. "You know why I killed myself"

"You're right, I do…Sorry"

"Forget it"

Edward changed the subject. "So, did you talk to ass-hat today?"

"Edward, his name is Emmanuel, and yes, I did"

"Well? Is he going to let me pass on or not?" This was a question Edward asked every day-

"Not until you do what you need to do"

-And always got the same answer.

"Tanya", he snapped "I keep telling you to tell him that I have absolutely NO clue how get justice! Jessica Stanley murdered me seventeen years ago, ok? I have no idea where she is or if she's even still alive. And I can't ask anyone for help because I'm _dead_!"

Tanya nodded patiently. "I know, Edward, and I'm sorry. I wish I could help you, but my only special privilege is talking to the big guys up there"

"Which I also don't understand. I've been dead longer than you. Why do _you_ get special privileges?"

"I'm awesome" Tanya shrugged

Edward growled.

She got up. "Well, if you're gonna be a piss ant, I'm going to go"

He waved her off. "I'll see you later"

Tanya winked. "Try not to miss me" Then she was gone.

"Don't worry" Edward muttered "I won't"

But even he knew the words were the lie.

**A/N: Here's chapter2 for you all. Hope you liked it. You'll learn more about Tanya in the next chapter. Until then, please review! **


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